Te Manawa o Pō Pīata
Kia tautoko te whānau, mai i te pōuri ki te whakamanawaSupporting whānau from sadness through to strength
Who we are
He kotahi na Turahiri, ka horu te moana.Turahiri may be only one person, but such a one that could stir up the oceans.
A friend once described himself as a “pracademic” and I’m adopting that for me too. I’m Vanessa, the founder of Pō Pīata Ltd. I like to think of Pō Pīata as small but mighty. Like many Māori I’m a collector of stories — sometimes I don’t like the endings, and I imagine different ones. At Pō Pīata we turn learnings and wisdom into practical tools so stories can be different.
My whānau is the Pō Pīata team; we are a collective and a consultancy. We hold knowledge and experience spanning te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori, psychology, research, governance, health, education and business. These links let us connect to broad networks and combine indigenous and contemporary knowledge. Pō Pīata is rooted in kaupapa tuku iho, and we can also be independent of institutional systems.
Purpose and mission
Purpose · why we exist
Dying, and caring for someone who is dying, can be one of the most challenging experiences whānau face. Yet conversations about death, grief, and end-of-life care are often difficult to have. This can leave whānau, hapū, and health services uncertain about how best to provide support during this deeply tapu time. As Aotearoa's population ages, with growing numbers of kaumātua living longer and experiencing increased frailty and dementia, the need for culturally grounded, whānau-centred care will continue to grow. We are working towards a future where people can navigate death and dying in ways that honour their values, tikanga, and aspirations. By creating dialogue, sharing information, and developing practical tools, we aim to weave together a more connected and compassionate experience of end-of-life care. A time and space that enables whānau to be informed, prepared, and mauri tau when it matters most - whatever setting they are in.
Mission · what we do
Creating a future where every whānau has the confidence, knowledge and support to experience end-of-life care and bereavement in ways that uphold mana, honour tikanga and nurture mauri tau.
Acknowledgement of funding support
We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Selwyn Foundation whose funding has enabled the development of this site, project and resources. Through their commitment to the wellbeing of older New Zealanders, the Foundation has helped advance work that promotes dignified ageing, embodies manaakitanga and wairuatanga, and strengthens compassionate end of life care for Māori and their whānau. This contribution is respectfully recognised without sincere thanks.
Vision
Pae tawhiti · our destination
Pae tawhiti is not only better care and services, but a place and time where Māori ways of caring for people through death, dying, and grief are visible, valued, accessible, and sustained by whānau, communities, and institutions alike.
Our story
I mua
Po Piata was born from a desire for something different.
After years of working across many kaupapa, often called upon to add a Māori lens to existing services, there came a growing sense of constraint. Meaningful change required more than fitting Māori perspectives into systems never designed with whānau at the centre. What was needed was the freedom to work with greater autonomy, purpose and intent.
The spark came at a deeply personal time. As a whānau, we walked alongside our mother through her journey with dementia. Over time her condition declined, and eventually we faced the difficult decision to place her into residential care. The options available left us with no choice — she was placed far from her tūrangawaewae, away from many of the people, places and cultural connections that had shaped her life.
Through that experience we saw first-hand the gaps in the care system. We witnessed how difficult it can be for Māori whānau to find services that truly understood who they were, where they came from, and why those connections matter. We saw what was missing, and we knew there had to be another way.
Today, Pō Pīata is driven by a commitment to ensuring other whānau have a different experience. We are guided by the belief that our kaumātua deserve to age with dignity, connection and a strong sense of belonging.
At our heart, Po Piata exists to create spaces where whānau can thrive, where Māori ways of being are not an afterthought but the foundation, and where care is shaped by aroha, manaakitanga and genuine understanding.
This is our kaupapa. This is our story. And this is what continues to drive us every day
Ki tua
Today, Po Piata has completed our first Mahutonga project under the umbrella of Whānau Ora Hora Te Pai Health.
We have recently completed Tīrama Mai, a podcast series designed to help whānau navigate loss and grief. Alongside this, we are completing our first major project, which aims to inform whānau, hapū and the health system change. It will also produce professional development tools for healthcare workers. We look forward to sharing its findings very soon.
As our work grows, we are actively seeking funding and partnerships to support future kaupapa. We have recently presented at the Compassionate Communities gathering in Heretaunga and will continue these important conversations at the Hospice NZ Conference in November 2026.
Looking ahead, we are working alongside mana whenua to develop what we believe will be the world's first Indigenous End of Life Care Gathering, creating a space to bring together Indigenous knowledge, leadership and innovation in end-of-life care. We hope to host this in 2028.
Though still early in our journey, Po Piata remains firmly grounded in its kaupapa: creating better experiences, stronger connections and lasting change for whānau.
Our values
Three kaupapa that guide how we work — with colleagues, collaborators and whānau.
- WhanaungatangaWe demonstrate whanaungatanga by building trusted relationships with colleagues, collaborators, and whānau, making connections with manaaki, that enable shared learning, reciprocity of support, and positive outcomes for Māori communities.
- KotahitangaKotahitanga looks like working collectively with colleagues and whānau, creating opportunities for Māori voices to be heard. We seek solutions that strengthen mana motuhake and reflect the needs and aspirations of Māori communities.
- PūkengatangaOur pūkengatanga is revealed through a commitment to advancing Māori and Indigenous knowledge around end of life care and bereavement. By supporting rangahau, research, evaluation, and presenting findings both nationally and internationally, we are building cultural capability for kaimahi, and knowledge that benefits whānau and communities.
Who we serve
Anyone interested in the same kaupapa and keen on authentic partnership.
- Hāpori, hapū, iwi
- Education, advice, strategy
- Hauora Māori and social service providers
- Education, collaboration, advice, strategy, governance
- Health organisations
- Education support, collaboration, strategic input, kaupapa Māori guidance and advice
- Education providers — wānanga, universities, membership bodies
- Education, collaboration, resource development, rangahau
- Potential sector partners
- Whanaungatanga and collaboration
